The Sanctity Of Rust is a mix of raw, gritty, energetic mechanical sounds and tender, introspective passages, offering a contemplative reflection of long passages of time. Survival is worthy of respect for the battle scars, the brutal effects of time and the beauty in the rust, both real and metaphorical, turning corrosion into character and reminding us that even in deterioration, there can be striking, unconventional elegance. There are a range of emotions that combust and combine on this exploration of oxidation, from the pristine original ferric form to slow decay, and further into new transformations in each of the possible futures. Hollan Holmes likes to bury melodies within melodies, which adds a richness to the harmonics and overall sound.
Holmes wanted to write an album that celebrates rust’s beauty and endurance, in the same way that he celebrates rust in his visual fine art work. He finds incredible beauty in the old, rusty things that were the inspiration for this project. This album also features the greatest abundance of piano and Rhodes electric piano compared to most of his catalog so far, and on the title track, Holmes is joined by the electric guitar of Bill Porter on the Suhr Standard S. Most of all Holmes is a synthesizer master magician.
As in the past albums, he loves sound design first and foremost. The Sanctity Of Rust explores new and exciting sound design into which Holmes has not ventured in the past, such as FM synthesis, samples and distortion tools.
From the dark distant future, a playful strange fuzzy melody draws closer, seemingly joined by hammered steel drum sounds, “The Sanctity of Rust” (5:08) is the opening track and Porter’s guitar burns deep. Once the big beat kicks in, the bass rules. Track three, “Once More Unto The Breach” (6:10), brings thunder, angels and pageantry. The sixth track, “Night Sky” (5:30) exposes a complex city at night, looking up into the infinite darkness beyond the flashing and strobing forces. Softly uncoiling and taking on a soft form then climbing quickly, “Spellbound” (6:42) transforms the listener by being hypnotic at times, with waves of energy.
Slowly emerging, track ten brings a new pattern, turning in new directions all the time, “The Fantastic Journey” (6:36) has a driving funky bass, always delivering something that somehow feels both simple and intricate, revealing gyrating hidden dimensions and building into a crescendo that lingers before fading into mirror-laden tunnels.
The final track starts in a church, and then gets more rowdy, slowly building and at times almost exploding. “Here at The End of All Things” (6:04) suggests a grand and layered musical denouement that brings the whole journey into a new perspective, alive and moving yet further forward in time.
Hollan Holmes delivers a conceptual ambient-electronic album that finds beauty in decay, aging, and the passage of time, a sonic parallel to Holmes’ visual art, celebrating the unconventional elegance of oxidation and endurance. A deeply personal and healing work, The Sanctity of Rust moves beyond sound design to turn the corrosive forces of life into a celebration of survival.
The Sanctity of Rust is Holmes’ fourth release on Spotted Peccary Music. His previous releases are Milestones (SPM-4401), Emerald Waters (SPM-4402), and Sacred Places (SPM-4403). Through their platform of choice, fans can listen to the album here: https://orcd.co/thesanctityofrust
